Hot Pursuit's gameplay is set in the fictional Seacrest County, in which players can compete in several types of races. Players can also compete online (except in the Wii version), which includes additional game modes such as Hot Pursuit, Interceptor and Race. The game features a new social interaction system called "Autolog", which is a network that connects friends for head-to-head races and compares player stats for competition. The game also features paid downloadable content in the form of new cars, new race and pursuit events, and new trophies and achievements. As of July 30, 2012, the Web Dashboard for Autolog was shut down for all games, except Need for Speed: Most Wanted.

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit

Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit, released in Japan as Over Drivin' III: Hot Pursuit, is a racingvideo game released in 1998. It is the third major installment in the Need for Speed series, significantly incorporating police pursuits as a major part of gameplay. Hot Pursuit remains focused in racing using exotic sports cars, but features races that primarily take place in locations within North America, including varied settings and climates. In addition, police AI is significantly improved over its predecessor, utilizing several tactics to stop both the player and opponent. The game was released for PlayStation in March 1998 and later received an enhanced port for Microsoft Windows in October 1998. A PlayStation 2 version was developed, but later cancelled. The game title's suffix, "Hot Pursuit", is a term for a police pursuit. The game had a sequel that was released in 2002 as Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2.

Gameplay

With police pursuits reintegrated into the game, Hot Pursuit's gameplay now consists of two categories. The first encompasses standard racing, as it has been in its predecessors, The Need for Speed and Need for Speed II, in which the player is allowed to race against one (including split-screen races) or seven other racers in normal circuit racers, knockouts, or tournaments (which allow the player to unlock bonus vehicles and a bonus track). The second category is dubbed "Hot Pursuit", where police pursuits are included in races; the mode allows the player to select a standard sports car to race against a single opponent in a police-scattered track. The PC version also contains a role reversal variation in which players select a police version of a sports car to pursue and stop all six racers before they complete their race. Completing both Hot Pursuit challenges in the PC version on every track of the game unlocks additional police sports cars.

Gameplay

Hot Pursuit 2 draws primarily from the gameplay and style of Need for Speed III: Hot Pursuit; its emphasis was on evading the police and over-the-top courses featuring lengthy shortcuts.

As with the original, the player also has the option to play as a police officer trying to arrest speeders. To do so the player rams the speeding vehicle multiple times to disable it. The player must turn on their lights and sirens while in pursuit, and they automatically turn off after arresting the suspect. Police can call for a barricade, additional units, "Unit 9" in broadcasting assistance (PS2 Only), spike strips, and request help from a helicopter to assist in chasing the target vehicle. At the end, the player is awarded for the cars busted. In the PlayStation 2 version this mode is called You're the Cop mode while in the PC, GameCube, and Xbox versions it's Be the Cop mode.